Neymar Has Returned to Santos and With Him Has Come the Enviable Smile of a player who has amazed everyone for more than a decade. In Santos, he feels comfortable, happy, and reconnected with his roots, but he also knows that his time in soccer will soon come to an end.
This Will Close a Cycle in Which Neymar Has Won a Champions League With Barça, Has Won Titles, and Has Been One of the Most Spectacular Players. He has illuminated soccer with his magic, his irreverence, and his ability to do the impossible. However, the passage of time is relentless, and the end of his professional career is already on the horizon.
His Return to Europe With Barça on the Horizon
Although his retirement is approaching, Neymar doesn't want to say goodbye to soccer without one last great challenge. He still has a couple of years of soccer at the highest level, and for this reason, his intention is to return to Europe this summer. The 2026 World Cup is still his goal, and he knows that to arrive in the best possible shape, he needs the demands of the major leagues.
Despite this, it is clear that his professional career will extend, at most, until 2026. Neymar wants to say goodbye to the Brazilian national team at the World Cup and end his career on a high note. But beyond that horizon, his physical condition makes it difficult to imagine continuity beyond the next two years.
Neymar's Successor in Brazil
Meanwhile, Neymar plans his last great stage, in Brazil, they are already preparing his successor. Although names like Rodrygo and Vinícius have taken over in the Canarinha, there is a player who, in the future, could be even greater. This is Estêvão, the new jewel of Palmeiras, who at 17 years old, has already scored five goals in 11 matches and has shown impressive maturity.
Estêvão is a destabilizing winger, with exquisite technique and blistering speed. Many compare him to Neymar in his breakout with Santos, but with a more powerful physique and a more precise shot. In Brazil, they are convinced that he will be the great reference for the national team in the coming years and that his talent will lead him to dominate European soccer in no time.
Chelsea Snatches Him From Barça
To Barça's misfortune, Estêvão Willian already has an owner. Chelsea has already moved ahead and closed his signing a few months ago for 34M, securing the arrival of one of the most promising talents in world soccer. He will join the English team in the summer and, if he meets expectations, could become the next great dominator of European soccer.
At Barça, this loss is especially painful because Estêvão had been on the list of future prospects. His play style fits perfectly with the culé philosophy, and in other times, the blaugrana club would have been at the forefront to sign him. But Barça's economic reality prevented any movement, and now they can only watch him shine in the Premier League with Chelsea.